//------------------------------// // Two // Story: Mechanical Wings // by xXSheltieXx //------------------------------// "This is amazing! Simply stunning!" Twilight smiled as she examined Hard Wire's foreleg. She retracted her hoof when the electricity zapped at her, but was happy to examine her nonetheless. "What do you do when you need an upgrade or the like?" "I go to the DATA EXPUNGED and DATE EXPUNGED fixes me." She replied quietly, the 'data expunged' words louder than the others. "What does expunged mean?" Pinkie asked. "It means that the data has been moved, altered, or deleted in some way," Rainbow answered. All eyes went on her. "What? When Twi's busy I just kind of read random books that look cool.... And last time it happened to be a robotics manual." Twilight continued to fiddle with the wires gently, writing things down on parchment as she did so. Hard Wire didn't mind at all; it didn't hurt in the least. The other ponies were thinking of something to do as the awkward silence was eating away at the flesh and blood beings. Wire's eyes zapped to life as it registered their emotions. ALL SEEM UNCOMFORTABLE... RESEARCHING... ICE BREAKERS: TELLING TRUTHS. TELLING ABOUT PAST. MORE DATA? Wire looked at them. "How about we tell truths to ease your discomfort?" "Oh, oh! Applejack always tells the truth!" Pinkie smiled. "Element of Honesty and all!" "Well, I'm an open book. Ask away." Applejack said with a confident smile. "You do enjoy Rarity's comfort, correct?" Hard Wire asked, tilting her head. Applejack and Rarity blushed immediately. "I sense that I have overstepped a boundary. I apologize for my words." Hard Wire said again, blinking slowly. "Well, I do love 'er a might. How about we learn more 'bout you, sugar cube?" Applejack asked, scratching her neck. "Very well." Hard Wire thought for a moment. "I was created five years ago. I recall being close to Fluttershy's cottage when I was younger." "I live by the Everfree Forest," Fluttershy said quietly. Wire nodded. "Yes, close to there I believe. I recall being by DATA EXPUNGED often. I can remember that I often tried to come to Ponyville but some pony always caught me and made me go back home." Twilight was still messing with her foreleg, a clear smile on her face. "Do you remember who it was?" Rarity asked. "Yes, but their name has been blocked by a chip in my processor. I cannot-" She was cut off by Twilight. "Oh! If I remove it, then-" "No!" Rainbow said, jumping between ponies. "If you pull out the chip wrong, it could erase everything she knows! She won't remember anything! Nothing! She wouldn't even know right from left!" Twilight frowned, sheepishly backing away. "S-Sorry. I got caught up in mechanics. And how did you know so much about robotics?" She queried, looking at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash sat next to Twilight and gave her a green mechanics book, looking away. "I started reading it the other day when you were busy and I was waiting and I got hooked on it so I kinda read it all... Twice." "Twice?" Twilight raised a brow. "Well, Tank's mechanics were getting worn out and I wanted to try it on my own so I brought it home and I stayed up all night last week and fixed it, okay?" Rainbow pouted, looking away. "I'm not an egghead!" Hard Wire stood up, putting the exoskeleton back on, a click sound assuring it was attached firmly. She looked at her new friends and tilted her head. "What are your occupations?" She asked out of curiosity. "I'm on the Wonderbolt Reserves. But I work as a Weather Patrol Pony for now," Rainbow Dash said, grinning. "I am a librarian. And an Alicorn, so I guess that means I also take care of... uh, Princess business." Twilight Sparkle added, rubbing her chin. "I take care of animals in my home and around Ponyville really...." Fluttershy squeaked. "I'm a baker! I make cupcakes and cookies and cakes and pies and for Fluttershy's birthday I make her her favorite cupcake! A Zap Apple Cupcake! I save the Zap Apples every year so I can make one for her!" Pinkie Pie grinned, nuzzling Fluttershy affectionately. "I work at Sweet Apple Acres. Mah lil' sister Applebloom works on the farm, and mah big brother Big Macintosh works too. Granny Smith don't work, but she does help." Applejack explained. "I work at Carousel Boutique and I make the most beautiful gowns and clothes any pony could want!" Rarity smiled. "What was your prime directive?" Rainbow asked. She got many strange looks. "It means what she was programmed to do." Hard Wire's head made a humming noise before she answered. "My prime directive is to learn, observe, study, and protect all fauna life. I am meant to learn. I watch and I record information. I suppose that would be my prime directive, yes?" "This is so awesome!" Twilight squealed. Hard Wire's ears perked as she heard some pony approaching, and her wings stiffened. A purple and green baby dragon walked in and yelped, backing away. "Spike, this is Hard Wire. Hard Wire, this is Spike." Hard Wire extended a hoof, and Spike shook it. "She feels cold." "She's a robot." Rainbow grinned. "Cool! What do you know? Do you know anything cool?" Spike asked, smiling. Her eyes analyzed him for a moment. "CHECKING DATA, PLEASE STAND BY." She spoke loudly. Her eyes refocused and she looked at him. "Your name is Spike, you were hatched from a violet egg when Twilight Sparkle was five years, eighteen weeks, fifteen days, six hours, and about twenty nine minutes ago. You are a Dragon that breathes fire and you also send letters Twilight Sparkle writes to Princess Celestia. You came from a family of dragons who live on Smokey Mountain and they did not intentionally leave you behind. Celestia found you as an egg after they were escaping poachers. CALCULATING.... That is all I know."